


Teamwork Is The Whole Team Working Together

by Nuwandalz



Series: We're Not A Team (We're A Work In Progress) [2]
Category: Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Implied Relationships, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-03
Updated: 2012-08-03
Packaged: 2017-11-11 08:17:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/476497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nuwandalz/pseuds/Nuwandalz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Communication is key. Not as simple as it sounds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Teamwork Is The Whole Team Working Together

**Author's Note:**

> Beta by Avenging-Gleefully (the same lovely person that gave me the "OT4 on a picnic" prompt)
> 
> All other mistakes are my own.

Steve sat at the kitchen table, a newspaper spread out before him along with his breakfast, a coffee and a StarkPhone. Across from him sat Pepper, reading the same headlines but on a clear screen, a coffee held halfway to her mouth as her thumb 'scrolled' through the news. Steve never got used to such a sight and glanced at his StarkPhone warily, as if bad thoughts about technology might actually encourage it to screw with him.

It wasn't that he wasn't good with technology - show him a few times and he'd get the hang of it. It was more the fact that technology was being upgraded every second, constantly changing and developing. Just when Steve felt as if he'd gotten somewhere, a new 'app' or gadget came out that completely turned everything he'd newly learned on its head. It was extremely frustrating. Especially when as far as he could tell, things had been much simpler back in his time. It bothered him that people these days relied on technology when it seemed so unstable. If the power was cut, things would dissolve into chaos very quickly.

"Steve, your loud thinking is really affecting my ability to absorb my caffeine in peace," Pepper teased, smiling at him over the rim of her mug.

"Sorry," he offered, sheepish. "I was just, thinking."

"A rare occurrence in this place," Pepper shot back without missing a beat, tone dry.

Steve had to laugh. He was lucky to have her on his side considering, well, her previous relationship to Tony. Something which he hadn't really asked about but gleaned most information from Tony's offhand comments. Which really made working out the truth to be quite complex. But Steve felt uncomfortable to pry.

"So, anything I can help you with?"

"Sorry?"

"The caffeine-interrupting thoughts," Pepper prompted.

"Right. Well, I suppose I was just thinking about...simple things."

"Simple?" was the echoed reply. Pepper put down her screen and held the mug with two hands.

"I know what you're thinking..."

Pepper smirked. "You really don't." Steve wondered if the reason Pepper and Tony never worked out was because they were too alike.

"But, simple sounds nice," she continued. "Impossible in this place, but nice." She leaned forward a little, sipping her coffee. "I haven't had time to enjoy something simple for a long time."

Happy for the conversation, Steve asked, "What would you like to do?"

"Oh, I don't know. Read a book with Fabio on the cover, sleep in, not get woken up at dawn because Tony's ended up on the front page again. Eat cake without feeling guilty. Go on a picnic without having it end in a PR disaster, take a vacation without having to call Tony every hour to make sure the company hasn't been ruined."

Steve blinked.

Pepper shrugged. "Anything, that doesn't involve work. And since this job is my life, well, you can imagine how that goes."

"I could try and talk to--"

"Tony?" Pepper politely didn't laugh at him but Steve could tell it was a near thing. "Thank you, Steve. But I can handle it. I know my way around Tony Stark better than you boys."

Steve fought to keep the heat in his face down. It was either the way she said it or the knowing look that made him want to sink a little in his chair. Pepper just smiled at him calmly.

"A picnic sounds nice," he eventually said, trying to take the conversation back a few steps. With an agreeing hum, Pepper nodded.

"I'd prefer the cake. If given a choice."

"I might be able to manage that," Steve offered, smiling.

"The highest calorie count you can find," Pepper instructed, easing out of her seat and toeing her high heels back on. She flashed Steve a smile that was beautiful and charming and all business at once before she left the room, heels sharp and loud until they faded with her departure.

\--

Steve found Bucky at the firing range, an assortment of targets littered with holes surrounding him. Bucky wiped sweat from his forehead, looking over at him.

"Steve."

"Hey, Buck." Guns were a necessary weapon at times but Steve wasn't a huge fan of them. He did however, appreciate them in Bucky's hands, protecting his back.

"What brings you my way?"

Steve had to smile, enjoying the genuine pleasure Bucky seemed to have at seeing him.

"I was wondering if you'd like a break."

Bucky started dismantling the gun, putting away each piece into a lined case that had the Stark logo on it. "A break? Right now?"

"I was thinking for lunch. Maybe a picnic."

Where Pepper was polite not to laugh, Bucky wasn't.

"A picnic?" was Bucky's response, a touch mocking with a heaping of fond that Steve appreciated.

"Yes. I miss it you know, the open air, the grass. The way things used to be. Without all the, towers reaching for the skies."

Bucky shrugged. "Sure. But you're organizing the food. Last time me and you went camping, you remember what happened."

Steve smiled at him, bright and open. "Don't worry. I've got your back."

\--

Tony eyed Bucky's arm with a disapproving look, nimble fingers tinkering away with the electronics inside. He'd noticed it acting a bit slow on the range and as per usual, was spread out in Tony's workshop like an experiment.

It would bother him if it wasn't a Stark looming over him.

"I can't believe this is happening," Tony whined, poking at something that made the mechanical fingers twitch. "You did something Barnes. There's no way my stuff is faulty. You broke it. Somehow."

"What? Oh no, you _promised_ me this was going to be an unbreakable arm, Stark."

"Obviously this was before I was well introduced to your brand of stu--"

"Look whose talkin'. You sayin' you can't fix this? Well I'm speechless. First time for everything right?"

"Wait. No. I did not say that. No. Just, hold still a minut--ow! Jesus."

"Not my fault."

"Your arm _bit_ me."

"It was a zap. Damn. You really are a child in papa's clothing."

"Hey, know what extension you need? A dildo. I can legitimately tell you to fuck yourself with it."

"Oooh ouch. No wonder you didn't get an invite to the picnic with that mouth," Bucky drawled.

Tony stilled, frowning slowly. "Picnic?"

"Oh yeah. Me and Steve are going on a picnic."

"Huh," Tony said, face blank. "That sounds very, hm, romantic? Domestic? Brady Bunch? Wait, that won't make sense to yo--"

"Stark-less?" Bucky supplied helpfully, grinning wide.

Tony's face crumpled into a sulking pout and he poked at the insides of the arm again until the mechanical whirring turned silent once more.

"I don't remember pissing Cap off. Well. More than usual. Not on a picnic scale."

Bucky shrugged with his good arm. "Hey, don't cry to me about coming second best."

"I can't believe I wasn't invited."

"Are we done?"

"I bet this is because of the Captain Crunch incident."

"Really, Stark? I need out. C'mon."

"Or probably the Cap-on-Ice joke."

"You said what?!"

"Nah, it was definitely the thing with--actually, better yet, I'm going to ask. Communication is key."

"God. Do you do this all the time? How does Banner even deal with you?"

At Tony's sudden silence, Bucky stopped, feeling a twinge of guilt. It was weird how if ever he mentioned Stark to Banner or Banner to Stark they both paused, exact same look on their faces.

 

Like being rebooted, Tony smiled, all fake with a lot of teeth, not quite firing on all systems yet.

"He's blinded by my charming personality and bedside manner."

Bucky snorted, finally glad to see Tony unhooking his arm from the machines. "He's blinded. No doubt about that," Bucky told him but Tony didn't look up.

"Well off you go," Tony shooed, waving tools at him. "Daddy's got work to do. Go and play outside with the other boys."

\--

"Heads up, doc!"

Bruce looked up from his work and caught the object sailing through the air. "What is this?"

"Trial sedative. Or maybe an hallucinogen. You know, I really don't remember. I got distracted by the delivery girl. Is she even legal? Pepper's usually good at weeding those kids out so I don't accidentally break the law."

Checking the canister, Bruce confirmed it was the sedative he had R&D cook up, labeling it with marker in case he forgot later.

"What did you want, Tony?" Bruce asked, knowing if Tony was already babbling to deflect then it was a personal thing.

"Did you know Cap and his boo are off to a picnic?"

"No," Bruce answered, jotting down some notes. "I didn't. Should I?"

"It's very coupley. Not sure I like it. Or maybe I do. Thoughts?"

"It's a date," was Bruce's addition to the conversation.

"Yes. No. What? A date?"

Bruce looked up.

"Then I propose a double date. Or a date crash. Or anything really. Why weren't we invited?" Tony continued, leaning against the desk and picking up the canister.

Plucking it out of Tony's hands and putting it away, Bruce ignored him.

"I think I pissed Cap off. I thought we were doing this fourway thing. Why's Barnes going and not us? That's a twosome. Right? Two. Not four."

"Are you going to be awhile? Because I have a few things I want to work on that require some concentration."

Tony hunkered down, chin in hands on the desk. "How long has it been since you slept?"

"Steve has been through a lot and dealt with many losses in a very short amount of time. Taking Ja--Bucky alone is probably because its all he has left from his old life and he doesn't need you interrupting that."

"You haven't slept with us for the last week. Trust me, this is a fact that I could not miss. You have a very distinct shape. It's very...you. The other two snore."

"Are you listening to me?"

"No."

"Don't get jealous."

"No."

"Steve cares about you. But he thought Bucky had died."

"A week. Cap kicks in his sleep."

Bruce sighed in defeat, looking up to spy Tony toying with some vials. "You do too you know."

"Kick in my sleep? What?"

"Snore," Bruce corrected, adjusting his glasses. "All three of you snore."

"I can't remember if you do or not. A week, Bruce."

"Don't ruin their date, Tony."

\--

Steve knocked on Bruce's door and after being allowed in, he showed off the tea he'd brought along.

Bruce just smiled one of those mild smiles, a fatigued happiness about him and welcomed Steve in with a wave. "Sorry for the mess."

"Not a problem," Steve replied, offering the tea. "So, doctor. I came here to ask if you'd like to go on a picnic?"

"A picnic?"

Steve smiled wider. "Yes. A picnic."

"Tony told me that was a date for you and Bucky."

With an odd look, Steve shook his head. "I made enough for four."

"Tony'll be pleased. He gets jealous if you don't pay enough attention to him."

Steve laughed quietly. "I'm sorry he thought he wasn't invited. But I really did want the four of us to do something together."

"Sorry, Steve. I'm not the picnic goer type. But you should take the others."

"Everybody or nobody."

Bruce made a face but Steve just kept on staring at him. No matter what kind of fuss Tony would kick up, he'd want to go do something with Steve and Bruce was sure the same could be said for Bucky. Bruce cancelling would mean everyone else would suffer and he'd probably never hear the end of it.

"That's a dirty move."

Steve just smiled.

\--

"Please tell me you made these. Oh my god."

"That's...a lot of food."

"Need a hand?"

"Thanks. And I..yeah. It's the only way to have a picnic if you made the sandwiches yourself."

"What animal died to give you that blanket?"

"Stark!"

"Hey, Steve. You know I can't really go outside...?"

"Oh come on, Brooklyn! That pattern is making my eyeballs bleed."

"I know, docto--Bruce. I thought we could do this on the roof?"

"You're an ass. No. Really. Steve, why're we bringin' him along again?"

"...thanks, Steve."

"Guess I'm not second best after all!"

"You're welcome, Bruce."

\--

Pepper came back to find a handful of Polaroids on her desk, each one showing a snapshot of Tony, Bruce, Steve and Bucky on their 'picnic'. Tony was scowling in half of them and flirting in the others. Steve was smiling in every one and Bucky looked more like the person Pepper imagined he was before the fall. Bruce was in some photos too, worn and weary but evidently happy and Pepper laughed at a few towards the bottom. It just proved that the four of them were as much children as they were Avengers and this time there wasn't any PR mess to clean up.

And to top it all off, she had the biggest piece of cake she'd ever seen in her life on her desk, oozing chocolate everywhere.


End file.
